I recently had two memorable dreams that spoke to me. In my first dream, I was in a room with fifty believers sitting in a big square. I was trying to teach them the value of doing ministry with a team.
At the end of my talk, I asked them, “Who is on your team?”
One young man raised his hand. “I’m my own team. I don’t need anyone else on my team.”
I know this proud young man. He is gifted. He can sing. He can play the guitar. He can speak eloquently.
I asked him a question, “What’s your favorite sport?”
“Basketball,” he replied.
“Are you a good basketball player?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll bet you $1000 cash right now that I can shut my eyes and pick a basketball team out of people in this room that can beat you in a game every time.”
I don’t care how good he is at basketball, he is not going to beat a whole team. You can take the best basketball player in the NBA, Lebron James, Steph Curry, or James Hardon. No matter how great the man is, the worst team in the NBA will beat him every time. A college team could beat him. In fact, a decent high school team could beat him. A good team is more powerful than an individual.
In my second dream, I was coaching a team of young people. I gave them assignments, then left them. When I returned after a while, none of them had taken any action. It turned out they were all afraid to make a mistake. Even though my instructions had been clear, they had been paralyzed by fear.
When I awoke, I thought about Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25. A man was given a talent of money and told to invest it for his master. The man buried it, rather than investing it like he had been told. When his master returned, the man claimed he was afraid to make a mistake with the money. Jesus said the man was wicked and lazy. He was going to be punished, rather than rewarded like the faithful men.
A team of people creates a culture. The culture of a team can create a synergy that maximizes the potential of each member, or it can inhibit them, depending on the health of the culture. I’m fortunate to be a part of great ministry teams. I would be lonely and ineffective if I was trying to make Christ known to people all by myself. No believer is born again into isolation. We are a part of God’s family; we are on a team in the body of Christ. If you are committed to your teammates, and using your gifts to encourage and empower them, you will glorify God. If you love them deeply, you will bring out the best in your teammates. Together, you can win victories, bear good fruit, and share a great reward.